Automatic ink agitator for printing machines



Jan. 31, 1933. F, E. WEED I AUTOMATId INK AGITATOR FOR PRINTiNG MACHINES2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21. 1931 Jan. 31, 1933. F. E. WEED AUTOMATICINK AGITATOR FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 21. 19:51

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIJ'IIIIIIIIIII FF'ed 151/66 l I VIII/ Iqgllglllllll Patented Jan. 31-, 1933' UNITED sTATas PATENT OFFICE FRED E.WEED, OF COLmIA, mSSOUBI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTH TO FRANCIS J'.

BBUENING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI r auromrrc rm aena'roa ron PRINTINGmamas Application filed May 21,

The invention relates to a printing press attachment and involves anautomatic ink agitator for a printing ress.

The primary object o the invention is the provision of an attachment ofthis. character wherein the ink in the fountain of a printing press willbe agitated or stirred so as to secure an even flow of ink at all timesand to keep the ink in the fountain working downwardly against feedroller or inking roll and whereb the pigment or dirt in the ink will notcollect against the feed roller or inkin roll and retard the flow ofink. I

Another object of the invention is the provision of an attachment ofthis character wherein the ink within the ink fountain will beconstantly agitated and the operation of the attachment carried forthautomatically whereby heavybodied ink will be prevented from settlinginthe fountain asit willbe constantly worked to maintain the properamount of ink flowing during the operation of the printing press therebyrelieving the operator from manual labor in the working of the ink inthe fountain by hand.

\ A further object of the invention is the provision'of an attachment ofthis character wherein the agitator fingeris of novel form and isoperated automatically'within the ink fountain of a printin less toagitate or stir the ink contained wit in said fountain to assure thefluidity thereof and to avoid the settling of the ink with resultingvariance in its density andin this manner the proper flow of the ink isassured in the'press when the sameis in operation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of anattachment of this character which is comparatively simple in construction, thoroughly reliable, efficient and automatic in .itsoperation, possessing'but few parts, thus minimizing expensefor'replacement of such parts, requiring little or no attention by anoperator of the press, readily accessible for cleaning purposes andinexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other. objects in view, the invention consists in thefeatures of'construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described in 1931. Serial No. 539,031.-

detail, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which disclose thepreferred embodiment of the invention,.and pointed out in the claimshereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top planview of an inkingfountain and its inking roller of a printing press, showng the automaticink agitator attachment constructed in accordance with the inventionapplied thereto, the cover or lid of such attachment being partly brokenaway for purposes of illustrating details.

' Figure 2 is an end elevation of the agitator attachment, certain partsbeing broken away to illustrate adjunct parts.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in thediriection of the arrows.

' Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1 lookingin the direction of the'arrows.

' Figure 5 is a, sectional view on theline 55 of Figure 4 looking inthedirection of the arrows. I

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 4 looking in thedirection of the arrows. 7

Figure 7 is a plan view of the agitator finger removed from theattachment.

Figure8 is an end view thereof.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawings. a

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally an inkingfountain of a printing press,' the fountain being of conventional form,and B the inking roller or feed roller for the ink which is supported bya journal 10 within the fountain B, the j ournal 10 having its bearingin the opposite ends of said fountain. I Y I Formed at opposite ends ofthe fountain A are lateral hangers or brackets 11 to which is connnectedthe attachment including a frame having end pieces 12. The pieces 12 ofthe frame have journaled'therein s aced. parallel screwshafts 13 and 14respectlvely, these constituting alternate'feed screws for a carriage 15supported thereby. This carriage 15 is in, the form of a block-likecasing and has adjustably fitted centrally therein a screw clutch 16,the clutching ends 17 and 18 respectively being alternately engageablewith the feed screws, the clutch end 17 being engageable with the screw13 and the clutch end 18 being engageable with the screw 14 as theclutch 16 is disposed between these screws 13 and 14 and is shiftablefor alternate engagement therewith in a manner presently described.

The shafts 13 and 14 at the left hand end of the frame including the endpieces 12 have fixed thereto meshing gears 19 so that motion imparted toone of the gears will permit motion to the other gear and these gearsrotate the shafts 13 and 14 reversely to each other, while the shaft 14outside of the frame including the end pieces 12 carries a pinion 2Ofixed thereto and meshing with an intermittently movable gear 21 on astud journal 22 mounted in one of the end pieces next thereto of theframe. The gear 21 is intermittently operated in a step by step manneras will be here inafter fully described.

Adjustably threaded on the shafts 13 and 14 at or near their respectiveends opposite each other are adjustable split sleeves 23, each beingheld adjustably threaded by means of a binding collar 24 tapped on thesplit end thereof and these collars of said sleeve carry tripping pinsor lugs 25 to alternately coact with tripping arms 26 pivotallysupported upon the carriage 15 at opposite ends thereof and these armsare operatively-connected with spring tensioned pivotal links 27 on thecarriage 15, the spring 28 being connected with said links for thetensioning thereof. The links 27 are connected with and operate shiftpins or lugs 29 mounted in the clutch 16 so that on movement beingimparted to either link 27 the said clutch 16 will be shifted within thecarriage 15 to bring it into engagement with either screw 13 or 14 andin this manner the carriage 15 will be reversely fed in the frame on theinkin fountain A so that the said carriage will T78 reciprocated backand forth from one end piece 12 to the other end piece of said frame.

Pivotally mounted upon the top of the carriage 15 on the side of thelatter next to the fountain A is an agitator finger 30 which is limitedin its swinging movement by a pin 31 working in an arcuate-shaped slot32 formed in the .pivoted end of said finger. This finger 30 carries afin 33 and the same is extended into the inking fountain A so as to actupon the ink contents of this fountain to agitate the same.

The inking roller B has its journal 10 extended as at 34 at one end andfixed to this extended end is a ratchet pinion or wheel 35 whileloosely'connected to said extended end 34 is an arm 36 carrying apivoted ratchet pawl or dog 37 for engagement with the ratchet pinion orwheel 35 to move the same in a step by step manner to turn the inkingroller B in the fountain A. The arm 36 has pivotally connected theretoan actuator member 38 which is operatively connected wlth the powermechanism of the printing press. Also connected with this member 38 isafixed arm 39 to which is pivotally connected a link 40, the same beingalso pivotally connected to a rocker arm 41 carrying a ratchet pawl 42,the same being engageable with a ratchet pinion or wheel 43 fixed withthe gear 21 so that the actuator arm 39 will impart a step by stepmovement to said gear 21 which transmits motion to the feed screws 13and 14 as will be clearly obvious. The arm 41 is loosely mounted on thestud journal 22 and adjustably fixed to a bracket44 secured to the endpiece 12 adjacent thereto of the frame for the agitator mechanism is acam 45, the latter being designed to regulate the action of the pawl 42on the ratchet pinion or wheel 43 as by setting said cam it will controlthe engagement of the pawl and ratchet wheel accordingly to a determinednumber of the teeth of said pinion or wheel so that in this manner thespeed of rotation of the screws 13 and 14 and the travel of the carriage15 will be controlled.

Hinged to the front of the frame at the end pieces 12 thereof is a coveror lid 46 which overhangs the frame to conceal the screws 13 and 14 andthe carriage 15 as well as adjunct parts thereof, yet on the lifting ofthe lid or cover 46 access may be readily had thereto.

The s ring 28 when the links 27 are shifted passes rom one side of thepivotal axis of said links to the other, thus reversing the position ofthe trip arm 26 on the carriage 15 as should be obvious and in thismanner the back and forth travel of said carriage on the screws 13 and14 will be automatically controlled through the trip pins or lugs 25.The agitator finger 30 is operated automatically and continuously duringthe working of the printing press and the actuator member 38 isconnected as usual with the arm on the printing press which operates theinking roller B within the fountain A as is usual.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner ofoperation of the attachment will be clearly understood and therefore amore extended explanation has been omitted.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with an ink fountain of a printingpress, of spaced parallel reversely feeding screws supported relative tothe fountain, a carriage slidably supported upon the said screws andadapted to be reciprocated, an agitator finger pivotally carried by thecarriage and adapted for limited swinging movement within the fountain,means in the carriage for alternate engagement with the screws andautomatically shiftable,

means adjustably supported upon the screws and alternately operable uponthe first named means for the automatic shifting thereof, means forimparting step by step movement to the feed screws, and an inking rollerhaving connection .with the last named means and located within thefountain.

2. The combination with an inking fountain of a printing press and aninking roll 1 within the fountain, of spaced parallel reversely feedingscrew supported relative to the fountain, a block slidablel upon saidscrews and constituting a reciprocatory carrier, an agitator fingercarried by said block and projected into the fountain, a clutch slidablyfitted within the block and alternately engageable with the screws,trips carried by; the block and operating said clutch, adjustablesleeves carriedby the screws and operative upon the trips forcontrolling the same,

gears carried by the screws and meshing with each other for impartingreverse motion thereto, and means associated with the gears to impartintermittent, movement thereto. 7 In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature. FRED E. WEED.

